Alternative Assessment

Basic Concepts,
Theories, and
Principles

ERNIE C. CERADO
Course Facilitator
Learning Targets

At the end of the module, I CAN:

• Define and explain the alternative assessment

and related concepts
• Differentiate alternative assessment from
traditional assessment
• Illustrate each type of alternative assessment
• Demonstrate an understanding of the different
principles in assessing learning using alternative
methods
Alternative assessment

Other names…
• Authentic assessment
• Non-traditional
assessment
• Performance test
 Alternative assessment
• It refers to the use of alternative or non-traditional
assessment strategies or tools to collect information on
student learning.

• At the core of alternative assessment is the need to design

and implement assessment tasks or activities that refrain from
using traditional paper-pencil test, which typically assess
cognitive learning outcomes and thus have right or wrong
answers (David et al., 2020).
 Alternative assessment
• This is a method of evaluation that measures a student’s level of
proficiency in a subject as opposed to the student’s level of
knowledge. The overall goal of alternative assessment is to allow
students to demonstrate their knowledge and execute tasks.

• Alternative assessment is also called a performance test or

authentic assessment because it is deeply rooted in one’s ability
to do something by leveraging newly-gained knowledge. As part
of the assessment, the student will need to perform meaningful
tasks that reflect a clear understanding of the teaching and
learning objectives.

https://www.formpl.us/blog/alternative-assessment
 Alternative assessment
• You can ask your students to create a
portfolio, work with others on specific projects
or engage in any other type of activity that
shows they have a full grasp of what has been
discussed in the class or training.

https://www.formpl.us/blog/alternative-assessment
Traditional Methods
• Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
• True or False
• Matching type
• Short-Answer test (Completion Type, Identification)
• Essay
Cognitive
Learning
• Remembering
• Understanding
• Applying
• Analysing
• Evaluating
• Creating
 Alternative assessments
• It is also referred to as performance tests or
authentic assessments; used to determine
what students can and cannot do, in contrast
to what they do or do not know.

• In other words, an alternative assessment

measures applied proficiency more than it
measures knowledge.

https://ctl.byu.edu/using-alternative-assessments
 Alternative assessments
Examples:
• Debate
• Community
Extension Work
• Portfolio
• Research Paper
• Project work
• Journal
• Other activities
requiring some
type of rubric

https://ctl.byu.edu/using-alternative-assessments
• Assessment is authentic when it measures
performance or products which have realistic
meaning that can be attributed to the success in
school.

• Activities, questions and problems with “real-world”

satisfy the criterion that it needs to be an authentic
intellectual work within the given situation or
contextual practicality of the tasks (Cajigal and
Mantuano, 2014) .
 Characteristics of Alternative Assessment
• Usually teacher-generated, as opposed to being passed down
from an administration, government, or third-party organization.

• Takes into account the individual background and needs of every

unique learner.

• Considers the big picture of individual student progress over an

extended period of time.

• Flexible, responsive, and continually developing according to

curricular objectives.
 Characteristics of Alternative Assessment
• Takes into consideration different learning styles and preferences.

• Allows language learners to demonstrate content knowledge and

skills mastery without language barrier difficulties.

• Highly effective for use with students who are entitled to

accommodations and/or modifications.

• Normally documented with qualitative data, such as performance

descriptors, comparisons with previous work, and skills
demonstration.
 Alternative Assessment IS NOT…
• Not standardized. Similarly, alternative assessment is not
what is sometimes referred to as 'large-scale' or 'high-stakes'
assessment.

• Not intended to replace or otherwise diminish the

importance of traditional assessments. In fact, it is intended
to serve as a complement to school and/or state-mandated
standardized assessment programs.

• Not implemented in one specific moment in time, such as at

the end of a lesson, unit, or semester.
 Alternative Assessment IS NOT…
• Not a measurement of how a student performs compared to
peers.

• Not normally reported with quantitative data (e.g., percentage

scores or statistics).

• Not presented in traditional formats, such as multiple-choice,

true/false, and fill-in-the blank questions and answers.

• Not perfect, comprehensive, or appropriate in every situation.

 Traditional Assessment versus Alternative
Assessment
Traditional Alternative Assessment
Assessment
Requires right Requires high-quality
answer performance or product,
along with justifications of
decisions.
Questions must Instructions/questions/pur
be unknown to pose must be known to
students in students in advance.
advance
Disconnected from Tied to real-world
the real world contexts and constraints.
Requires student to solve
realistic problem.
What Makes it Authentic
Students must be able to think
through why they made decisions
that resulted in final product.
Tasks that are to be judged should
be known ahead of time. Rubrics
should be provided.
Task is similar in nature as to what
would be encountered by a real-life
practitioner.
 Traditional Assessment versus Alternative
Assessment
Traditional Alternative Assessment What Makes it Authentic
Assessment
Isolations of A range of skills/knowledge Tasks are multi-step and
skills, focus on need to be integrated in order multifaceted.
facts to solve a problem.
Easily scored Includes complex tasks for Meaningful assessment and
which there may not be a feedback is emphasized.
right answer.
“One shot” Iterative in nature. Knowledge and skills are
approach used in more than one way.
Given a score Opportunity to provide Designed to give practical
diagnostic feedback. experience and improve future
performance.
 Non-Traditional Assessment Models

1. Authentic Assessment: Assessing by Doing

• Authentic assessment is based on students’
abilities to perform meaningful tasks they may
have to do in the “real world.” In other words,
this form of assessment determines students’
learning in a manner that goes beyond multiple
choice tests and quizzes.
Authentic Assessment: Assessing by Doing

Developing an Authentic Assessment

Here are some suggestions for developing an authentic

assessment:

• Identify at least one task students need to be able to do to be

successful in employment and/or continuing education
• Work with your fellow faculty to determine how students might be
able to demonstrate their ability to do the task(s)
• Identify criteria to evaluate the task(s)
• Evaluate students’ abilities to complete the criteria of the task(s)
 Authentic Assessment: Assessing by Doing

Some Authentic Assessment Methodologies

Examples:
• Biology lab practical
• e-Portfolio
• Music jury
• Mock trial
• Acting in a play
The basic premise of authentic assessment is
that if you want to know how well someone
golfs, the best way to assess it is to have that
person play a round of golf.
Authentic Assessment: Assessing by Doing

Critical Elements in Authentic Assessment

• This type of assessment requires a sense of meaningful
tasks that students would need to be able to perform after
they leave school.

• These meaningful tasks are often linked to demonstration

of knowledge/skills/abilities needed in the world of work.

• Authentic assessment typically relies on using a rubric (or

some other scoring guide).
 Non-Traditional Assessment Models

2. Developmental Assessment: Assessing by Progress

• Developmental assessment looks at students’
progress in developing skills, abilities, values, etc.,
rather than evaluating students’ final products.
Developmental Assessment: Assessing by Progress

Using Developmental Assessment

• Not every type of learning is best assessed

by looking at the quality of a final product.
In fact, sometimes there is no expectation
that students should, or even could, fully
develop in the assessed area by the end of a
course or program.
 Developmental Assessment: Assessing by Progress
An example of this is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
Theoretically, very few people ever fully develop to the final
“self-actualized” stage.
• Developmental assessment is useful for outcomes-based on students’
development rather than their abilities to create a final product.
• This assessment is based on relevant principles of development in your
discipline.
• This type of assessment emphasizes emerging knowledge and skills,
rather than recognizing only students’ final products.
• Developmental assessment gives you the ability to focus on strengths
and unique aspects of your program.
• Developmental assessment is ongoing and may occur in many contexts,
giving you a richer view of students’ learning.
 Developmental Assessment: Assessing by Progress

A few advantages of authentic assessment are:

• Developmental assessment is useful for outcomes-based on
students’ development rather than their abilities to create a
final product.

• This assessment is based on relevant principles of

development in your discipline.

• This type of assessment emphasizes emerging knowledge

and skills, rather than recognizing only students’ final
products.
Developmental Assessment: Assessing by Progress

A few advantages of authentic assessment are:

• Developmental assessment gives you the ability to focus on

strengths and unique aspects of your program.

• Developmental assessment is ongoing and may occur in

many contexts, giving you a richer view of students’ learning.
Developmental Assessment: Assessing by Progress

Creating Developmental Assessments

• Developmental assessments require some sort of

pre-post design. If you would like to know how
much a student has developed their knowledge,
skills, abilities, and/or values, you need to
measure that information at the beginning of a
learning experience, then again at the end.
Developmental Assessment: Assessing by Progress

Creating Developmental Assessments

Example:

• One could administer a test at the beginning of a

class; then ask the same students to take the same
test at the end of a class. By comparing students’
performances on the pre- and post-tests, a teacher
could determine students’ levels of development.
 Development

Pre-test Post-test
 Developmental Assessment: Assessing by Progress

Some Developmental Assessment Methodologies

• Methodologies tend to rely on observational and work
sampling techniques that continually focus on performance,
processes, and products over selected periods of time and in a
variety of contexts.

Example:
• An instructor may compare two work samples using a
developmental rubric to determine students’ levels of
development.
 Developmental Assessment: Assessing by Progress

Critical Elements in Developmental Assessment

• Developmental assessment requires a theory of

how students develop the knowledge, skills,
abilities, and/or values you intend to measure.

• The person or people conducting the assessment

need to have good knowledge of the stages
through which students’ progress as they
develop. Developmental assessment necessarily
requires some sort of a pre-post assessment
design.
 Developmental Assessment: Assessing by Progress

Things to Consider in Developing a Developmental

Assessment

• The purpose of assessment is to collect information

necessary to make important decisions about students’
development and educational needs.
• Assessment must serve in ways that enhance
opportunities for optimal growth, development, and
learning.
• The process of determining individual developmental and
educational needs informs instructional practices and
provides a template for setting individual and program
goals.
3. Emergent Assessment: Assessing by Discovery

Emergent assessment is a
This model honors the idea
model based on Scriven’s
that you may bias your
(1967) goal-free evaluation
assessment by specifically
model. With emergent
defining what you are
assessment, assessment is
looking for. This assessment
structured using “effects”
model tends to be more
rather than learning
qualitative in nature.
outcomes.
Emergent Assessment: Assessing by Discovery

Using Emergent Assessment

• Emergent Assessment addresses concerns about inquiry

shared by many disciplines, particularly those disciplines
that tend to use more qualitative methodologies. A few
examples of these concerns are:
• There may be differences between explicitly stated
learning outcomes and their associated implicit learning.
• Prevents overlooking unintended outcomes (both
good and bad).
• Focus is on what program actually does, rather than
what it intends to do.
 Emergent Assessment: Assessing by Discovery

Developing
Emergent Profile the actual effects of instruction or
Assessment educational program against demonstrated
needs of students who complete a course
or program.

Step One
Create a profile of the needs of students
who finish your course, graduate from your
program (that goes beyond what you
intend to deliver).
 Emergent Assessment: Assessing by Discovery

Developing Profile the actual effects of instruction

Emergent
Assessment or educational program against
demonstrated needs of students who
Step Two complete
Identify a course
effects or program.
of educational program on
students’ learning using primarily direct methods,
considering

both intended and unintended effects

both positive and negative effects

 Emergent Assessment: Assessing by Discovery

Developing Profile the actual effects of instruction or

Emergent educational program against demonstrated needs
Assessment
of students who complete a course or program.

Step Three Compare the information gained in step

one with the information gained in step
two.
Emergent Assessment: Assessing by Discovery

Some Emergent Assessment Methodologies

• Methodologies may include anything that includes a global,
comprehensive look at student work, behavior, performance,
attitudes, and values to determine what affect the academic program
is having.

Examples
• Writing Samples
• Especially those requiring reflection
• Interviews or focus groups with students
• Brainstorming sessions with students
• Ecological observation of students engaged in work in a classroom
 Emergent Assessment: Assessing by Discovery
Critical Elements in Emergent Assessment
• Assessors need to be competent in the subject of assessment.
– Assessors need to “know it when they see it.”
• Assessors need to be aware of and conscientious of their bias.
– Ideally, the assessors would have no knowledge of intended
learning outcomes, but this is generally not possible in
assessment.
– Assessors do not look for effects solely through the lens of
defined learning outcomes or intended learning based on
course/program academic content.
• Need to be Critical!
– Are you just seeing what you want to see?
Emergent Assessment: Assessing by Discovery

Developing an Emergent Assessment

• First, you should consider the necessarily
intrusive nature of this type of assessment. Is this
appropriate for your setting (i.e., the culture or
nature of your course or program)?

• Also, this type of assessment can be very time-

consuming – both for the faculty and for the
students.
Emergent Assessment: Assessing by Discovery

Developing an Emergent Assessment

• There is a need for both openness and honesty
with this assessment model, which may not be
comfortable for some people.

• Assessment with this model needs to be both

balanced and unbiased. Note that this requires
knowledge from the assessors of their natural
biases.
Non-Traditional Assessment Models

4. Learning-Oriented Assessment

It is an assessment that has the purpose of

bringing about deep and meaningful learning
for student. This is a course-based type of
assessment that focuses on students’ learning
rather than instructors’ teaching.
Using Learning-Oriented Assessment
Traditional Assessment Learning-Oriented Assessment
Knowledge transmitted Students construct knowledge by
from professor to gathering & synthesizing
students information from different sources
Students passively Students are actively involved in
receive information learning

Emphasis on Emphasis on using and

acquiring knowledge for communicating information to
the sake of having the address real world issues
knowledge
Using Learning-Oriented Assessment
Traditional Assessment Learning-Oriented Assessment
Teaching and Teaching and assessment are
assessment are intertwined
separate
Assessment used to Assessment used to promote
monitor learning learning

Emphasis on the "right" Emphasis on making, and learning

answers from, mistakes

Huba, M.E. & Freed, J.E. (2000). Learner-Centered Assessment on College

Campuses. Allyn and Bacon: Boston.
Developing Learning-Oriented Assessment

Some suggestions for developing a

learning-oriented assessment for a course:
• Develop course-based learning outcomes
• Create learning experiences designed to bring about
the learning based on the defined learning outcomes
• Engage students in ill-defined (rather than well-
defined) problems
• Evaluate students’ abilities to complete the criteria of
the task(s)
Developing Learning-Oriented Assessment

Some suggestions for developing a

learning-oriented assessment for a course:
• Provide formative assessment to involve students in
improving their learning
• Gather feedback from students about instructors’
teaching and their learning to involve instructors in
improving students’ learning
• Adjust instruction based on feedback from students
Some Learning-Oriented Assessment Methodologies

Methodologies tend to focus more on formative assessment

and classroom assessment strategies. All assessment
methodologies should have the purpose of contributing to
students’ learning

Examples:
Work on ill-defined
Classroom
problems (example:
e-Portfolios Assessment
“grand challenges” in
Techniques (CATs) your field)
Critical Elements in Learning-Oriented Assessment
This type of assessment breaks down the
barrier between instructors and students
• Both are equal partners in students’ learning
• Requires a lot of formative assessment (students need
consistent feedback on their learning)
• This is a course-based (rather than a program-based)
form of assessment.
• Focuses heavily on formative assessment (rather than
summative)
• BUT, still need to determine how grades will be given
in the course
• This type of assessment is based on an assumption of
“backward design”
Developing a Learning-Oriented Assessment
Before deciding to implement learning-oriented assessment,
you should consider the following two questions:

• This type of assessment requires a lot of faculty buy-in (due

to its classroom-based nature)
• Requires a shift in both instructors’ and students’ thinking
about mistakes
• Making mistakes is to be expected as a natural part of the
learning process
• Use caution that the classroom does not have a punitive
view of mistakes
• Instructors’ teaching is equally up for evaluation as students’
learning.
• This is a time-consuming form of assessment.
Types of Alternative Assessment
Here is a list of alternative assessment strategies that teachers may
want to consider. Note that these examples are just some of the
numerous strategies that are available.
Abstract Flowchart Podcast
Annotated Bibliography Group Discussion Review of book
Autobiography/Biography Essay Review of literature
Blog Letter to the editor Research Proposal
Brochure Methods Plan Statement of
Assumptions
Case Analysis Memo Summary
Cognitive Map Multimedia Taxonomy
presentation
Description of a Process Oral Report Thesis sentence
Diary Personal Letter Vlog
Debate Narrative Portfolio
Diagram Outline Question
 Below are also examples of Authentic or Alternative Assessments
adapted from Queen’s University Centre for Teaching and Learning
Module on Assessment, and Berkeley Centre for Teaching and
Learning’s “Alternatives to Traditional Testing.”

• Letter/Letter to the editor

• Memo
• Presentations
• Poster presentations
• Portfolio of work
• Proposals
• Policy briefs, Reports
• Case studies, Simulations
• Fishbowls
Principles in Assessing Learning using Alternative
Methods

Assessment
is both An assessment gives equal importance to
process- students’ performance or in producing a
and product. While traditional assessment
product- methods are focused on assessing student
oriented.
products or outputs, non-traditional or
alternative methods like performance
assessment and portfolio assessment give
value to the product developed by students,
as well as in the process students have
undergone to develop the product.
Principles in Assessing Learning using Alternative
Methods

Assessment
should For assessment to be valid and authentic, it should
focus on require students to demonstrate their knowledge.
higher- However, the focus should be on providing tasks or
order activities that would allow students’ demonstration
cognitive of higher-order cognitive outcomes (e.g., creating,
outcomes. analysing) or skills (e.g., creativity, critical thinking).

The use of non-traditional methods of assessment

like performance assessment allows the assessment
of both lower-order and higher-order cognitive
outcomes in ways that are more authentic.
Principles in Assessing Learning using Alternative
Methods

Assessment
can include Traditional assessment focuses on knowledge and
a measure other cognitive learning outcomes. However,
psychomotor and affective learning outcomes are also
of non-
important learning outcomes, and there are learning
cognitive targets that are non-cognitive in nature.
learning
outcomes.
An assessment should also consider the assessment of
these non-cognitive outcomes. Non-traditional
assessment tools like rubrics, scales, and checklists
allow the measurement of non-cognitive learning
outcomes that allow a more complete and assessment
of student learning
Principles in Assessing Learning using Alternative
Methods

Assessment
should Assessment tasks or activities should be authentic.
reflect real- The assessment should closely, if not fully
life or real- approximate real-life situations or experiences.
world
contexts. Authenticity of assessment can be thought as a
continuum from less authentic to most authentic,
with more authentic tasks expected to be more
meaningful for students. Performance assessment is
optimal if the performance task to be demonstrated
is similar or closed to what is expected in the real
world.
Principles in Assessing Learning using Alternative
Methods
Assessment
must be Assessment should be performed using a variety of
comprehensive strategies and tools designed to assess student learning in
and holistic. a more integrative way. Assessment should be conducted
in multiple periods to assess learning over time.

The use of both traditional assessment and alternative

assessment strategies and tools should be considered.
Non-traditional methods of assessment (e.g., use of
rubrics, scales) allow the possibility of multiple assessors,
including the use of self, and peer assessment. This
ensures that students are being assessed in a more
comprehensive and holistic way.
Principles in Assessing Learning using Alternative
Methods

Assessment
should lead This means that assessment should be like classroom
to student instruction. This principle is consistent with the
concepts of assessment for learning and assessment as
learning.
learning.

Assessment for learning refers to the use of assessment

to identify the needs of students in order to modify
instruction or the learning activities in the classroom. In
assessment as learning, assessment tasks, results, and
feedback are used to help students practice self-
regulation and make adjustments in order to achieve
the curriculum outcomes.
Advantages of Alternative Assessments

What benefits do students, teachers and the

education system can gain through alternative
assessments? The list below provides some
insights into this question.
Advantages of Alternative Assessments

Students get an opportunity to apply

the knowledge that they have learned
and demonstrate it in a constructive
way that provides a solution to a
problem.

They are encouraged to think,

analyze, innovate and apply; and their
sense of reasoning tends to improve.
Advantages of Alternative Assessments

Students also improve on their

communication skills as they need
to also explain their solutions and
the logic behind it to examiners.

These tests are more realistic and

bring in an understanding and the
importance of the knowledge
gained.
Advantages of Alternative Assessments

A student’s skills are also measured along

with the knowledge gained, making it more
complete and correct.

Provides educators with a real time

understanding on how teaching methods
can be improved. This is so because they
get to see how students have imbibed what
they have learned and bring it out
productively.
Advantages of Alternative Assessments

It is easier to grade a student overall

like this rather than just scoring marks
through shallow recitations.

It is much more transparent and fair

as all students are given an equal
opportunity to apply the knowledge
gained in a way they find fit rather
than constraining them.
Thank you.